The article discusses the historical significance of Spitalfields, London, particularly regarding the Huguenot silk-weaving community that settled there in the 17th and 18th centuries. Architect Chris Dyson highlights the functionality of restored buildings where these artisans worked and lived. Julia Kuznecow, a local guide, explains how the Huguenot influence diminished over time as they integrated into English society, changing their names, and how their places of worship, like a former French Protestant church, eventually ceased operations due to declining attendance.
You'd have had silk weavers working here, and weavers on the next floor, and weavers on the next floor above... They often lived and worked in these spaces.
The influx was such that a huge part of London's East End became known as 'weaver town' as it transformed into a centre for the trade.
They integrated so quickly... and many of them changed their names because of constant wars with France and the constant troubles.
That lifespan is about average for Huguenot churches. They probably limped on towards the end to try desperately to keep it open.
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